1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates in general to a drive device and a drive method for the pixels of a liquid crystal display, and more particularly to a device and a method for repairing the defective pixels of a liquid crystal display.
2. Description of the Related Art
While display technology is experiencing continual progress, the liquid crystal display (LCD) has become a mainstream product in the field of displays due to its advantages of low radiation and low power consumption as well as its physical features of being thin, small and short in size, and light in weight.
A liquid crystal display panel includes a plurality of pixels arranged in the form of a matrix and displays the picture by inputting individual pixel data to control the brightness of a pixel.
A diversity of errors might occur during the manufacturing process of a display. For instances, the first metallic layer short-circuiting with the second metallic layer or the photoresist coating applied on the glass base panel peeling off will cause structural defects to a pixel. Under these circumstances, a pixel would be unable to display the corresponding brightness in response to the pixel data received. For example, the peeling off of photoresist coating will make a corresponding pixel much brighter than its adjacent pixels resulting in a bright spot defect. For the convenience of description, a pixel with structural defects is referred to as a ‘defective pixel’ hereinafter while a pixel, which always displays a higher level of brightness due to the peeling off of photoresist coating, a “bright spot”. Bright spots not only deteriorate the display quality of a liquid crystal display panel but also reduce consumers' purchasing willingness.
Currently, the method for repairing the bright spot problem of a liquid crystal display panel is to repair the defective structure of a defective pixel and the peeling off of photoresist coating either manually or automatically. Since a pixel is small in size but complex in structure, it is difficult and time-consuming trying to examine and locate defective pixels to further fix the defective structures. It is not economical in terms of the cost and labor required. Moreover, some of the structural defects cannot be repaired properly. Therefore, how to reduce the negative influence on the display quality of a liquid crystal display panel caused by defective pixels has become an important issue.